SNACKS! It’s about the only thing I have time for this week. My schedule has been SUPER hectic and I’ve been running around like a CRAZY woman! With all this chaos, I can still hear my kitchen screaming, “STOP NEGLECTING ME, TRACY! Get in here and make something! You’ll feel better!” You know what? My kitchen is right. I don’t have lots of time, but I need to make something that will take my mind off my TO-DO lists. Armed with a cup of coffee, I whipped up these FULLY LOADED granola bars this morning while Cooper ate his breakfast. I’d have to say that it was time well spent because they are AWESOME. I love the crunch of the oats & almonds and am digging the tang of the dried apricots! A few of them got a little crumbly, but I don’t mind. They’ll be making their way into a bowl of yogurt for my afternoon snack today.
If you don’t have a lot of time and you want to get your butt in the kitchen, make these! You’ll have 12 little bars to snack on throughout the week –or day if you’re a pig like me! A runny nose will be wiped, a granola bar will be eaten, an email will be sent, and another load of laundry will be going into the washer the second I finish this paragraph. But it’s all good because I have a nice big plate of chewy/crunchy granola bars to fuel me today.
And we’re off!
Melt the butter, honey & brown sugar in a large saucepan.
Gather the bar ingredients!
Put them all in a bowl and toss with the wheat germ.
Toss toss toss.
Now introduce the dry stuff to the butter/sugar mixture.
Mix well!
Plop the mixture in your parchment lined baking pan and spread it out evenly.
Push it into the pan & bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Let it cool for at least a half hour. Now cut up the bars!
Check your watch.
That took no time at all, huh? Now get started with your dreaded TO-DO list!
Stop procrastinating! I’m really just directing that at me.
Fully Loaded Granola Bars
Makes 12
(recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
- 2 tablespoons wheat germ
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter with honey and brown sugar. In a large bowl mix the oats, dried fruits & nuts with the wheat germ. Pour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and stir thoroughly.
Press the granola mixture into your prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.
